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Man spends two days adrift before rescue
A casino boat finds a man clinging to a canoe about 10 miles west of Egmont Key.
By JACOB H. FRIES
Published June 29, 2007
A 49-year-old man spent more than two days clinging to his capsized canoe before being rescued miles off Egmont Key on Thursday night, authorities said. When found by a casino boat about 8 p.m., the man was conscious and talking but dehydrated, sunburned and showing signs of shock, Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Case said. The man's name and hometown were not immediately released, and no one had reported him missing. "It's really an insane case," Case said. "He's really lucky that this boat was going by when it did. Who knows if he would have made it through the night." People on the Big "M" Casino boat spotted the man stranded about 10 miles west of Egmont Key and pulled him on board, Case said. The man said he had gone canoeing alone Tuesday from Fort De Soto Park in southern Pinellas County. A thunderstorm capsized the boat. The man had been clinging to the overturned canoe ever since -- at least 50 hours in all, Case said. Stacy Langrock, 25, of Holiday came to the front of the casino boat as its engines shut down and the boat slowed alongside the man. She said she talked with him as he waited to be pulled on board. "He said, 'I've been out here since 2 o'clock on Tuesday. My car is still in Fort De Soto. My oars are gone,'" she said. Langrock and her husband, Adam, said the man's face was sunburned bright red and his hands were white from the water. He had a life jacket, but it was tied to the boat. "He was all fried up," said Adam Langrock, 26. "He was definitely a-hurting. He was an older guy and struggling out there." The man told passengers that he had helplessly watched many boats pass by, none of which had seen him. Medical personnel on the casino boat treated the man and called the Coast Guard, which dispatched a 41-foot boat to retrieve him and to bring him to shore, Case said. Officials planned to take the man to a local hospital for evaluation. The temperature of the water in the area was about 80-85 degrees, cold enough to bring on hypothermia if immersed for such a long time, Case said. Jacob H. Fries can be reached at jfries@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8872.
[Last modified June 29, 2007, 02:42:44]
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by Ron
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07/06/07 11:10 AM
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I'm sure alcohol was not a factor.In a canoe WEAR the Life Jacket!
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by Jason
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06/30/07 04:40 AM
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Why on earth would you go out on the Gulf side of Fort DeSoto in a canoe? He's definitely a very lucky man.
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by Patty
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06/29/07 12:07 PM
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Noone at the park noticed the car parked there for two days? Tell someone when and where you are going and when to expect you home. Glad you are back safely.
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by Pete
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06/29/07 10:53 AM
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Second rule of boating don't canoe near the currents of Ft desoto or you will be pushed out to the gulf. Third is you should carry safety equipment with you. I use to canoe and I had a signal mirror and a flare gun in my light jacket Safety first
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by Jason
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06/29/07 10:07 AM
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Float Plan. Say no more. Also, you may want to be careful taking such a small "boat" in the Ft. Desoto channel. In a good outgoing tide, your gone in a matter of minutes. Boating and water courses should me mandatory!!! No one is smart enough to know
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by JT
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06/29/07 09:28 AM
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No mention if he had on a life jacket. That is so important.
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by Jeff
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06/29/07 09:21 AM
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Second Rule of boating: don't go out in a canoe.
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by Steve
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06/29/07 08:23 AM
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He's very lucky he was found. The first rule in boating....tell someone where you are going before you go and when you are coming back.
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